And here we have arrived at the crux of the matter.
According to multiple reports, Juventus have offered a new contract to Alex Sandro, who’s been increasingly and ever more realistically linked with Chelsea. This contract offer however does remind us that that when these rumors first started, we viewed them as nothing more than a play for exactly that, a new and improved contract.
⚫️⚪️ Juventus offer Alex Sandro new deal with Chelsea set to improve on £52m transfer offer |✍️@sjstandardsport https://t.co/fFQo8aRqKC
— Standard Sport (@standardsport) June 19, 2017
The reporting around the number and the amount of Chelsea’s bids is a bit confusing, but what’s clear is that Juventus have rejected at least one massive bid from the Blues, and possibly three, with the last one possibly as high as €60m (£52).
According to the Guardian last night, Chelsea plan to increase that slightly this week to £55m. That’s a laughably small change, but we’re probably also banking on reports claiming that the left back is keen to make this move happen and Juve’s admitted stance of not standing in his way if he decides to leave.
As per the Standard, the new contract on offer from the Italian champions is £100k, which is a solid improvement on the current deal, but pales in comparison with Chelsea’s offer to double the 26-year-old’s wages to £150k.
Choose wisely, Alex Sandro.